This One's Different
by smileaway96
Summary: There's only a few days left until Christmas, and Silver still doesn't have a gift for Blaze, the little procrastinator. But Silver's not looking for any old gift – he's on the hunt for something heartwarming; something meaningful. With the mixed messages about Christmas coming from left and right, it seems like it'll be a very long journey. Review, please!
1. The Realization

**A/N: Happy holidays, all! Here's a little Christmas cheer, served for you on a "silver" platter! . . . Pun may have been intended. ^_^" *crickets chirping* **

**Anyway, here's my annual Christmas fic, this time I'm working with some characters I don't normally work with in a genre that I never thought I'd ever work with. So if I mess anything up, please feel free to leave a review telling me so because this is a bit different. Also, I've been on a fairly tight schedule, so I'm not entirely sure if I'll have this whole story up before Christmas, but we shall see. Thanks, all, and Merry Christmas, happy New Year, and everything in between! :) **

* * *

A red mug spun slowly around in one spot on the coffee table as Silver pressed his finger against the handle and gently pushed it so as to make it turn. The fire in the fireplace was slowly beginning to die, and the logs adjusted themselves, as if to keep the fire going. The hedgehog shivered as a chilly breeze entered the house, signaling the opening of the front door.

"Silver, I'm back," came a soft voice from the doorway, "Amy was generous enough to make us a full batch of cookies. I thought you might want some."

At the mention of the sugary treats, Silver suddenly appeared next to Blaze, eyes wide.

"What kind?" he asked, hopeful.

"Sugar," Blaze replied, eyebrow raised at the sudden appearance of her friend. She set a small box of cookies on the kitchen table and said, "Careful not to eat them all at once, now."

"Oh, I won't," Silver said with his mouth full. Blaze peered into the box and noticed that nearly half of the cookies had vanished.

"Silver!" she scolded, "Not another bite until after dinner."

"Ah couldn't heppit," the hedgehog said in response, crumbs dangling from his lower lip.

"Goodness, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were a chipmunk," Blaze mumbled, quickly replacing the lid of the box. "Don't get carried away."

"Mmkay."

Blaze sighed, then sat down in a chair by the kitchen table. She pressed her fingers on her forehead and shut her eyes.

"Goodness, what a day," she said, "The little ones were simply wild."

"Had to watch Charmy and Cream, did you?" Silver inquired, taking a seat himself.

Blaze responded with a slow nod of her head.

"They're rather energetic, especially at this time of year," she answered. "Though they're quite crazy, I was able to sit them down in front of the television for a little while."

"Ah," Silver said, "That always seems to work, huh?"

"It's true," Blaze replied with a smile. "Though it doesn't last for long, especially when a pirate cartoon plays and they're inspired to pretend to be pirates for the rest of the afternoon."

Silver smiled and gently flicked one of Blaze's ears.

"Well, we still love 'em," he said, "Don't we?"

"I'd never do anything to make them upset, of course," Blaze confirmed. Her small, white fangs glistened from the light on the ceiling as she sweetly smiled again.

"Have you done any of your Christmas shopping?" she asked Silver nonchalantly. "I'd be happy to help you with your Secret Santa gift."

It had become a tradition that the Mobians would do a Secret Santa gift a choose a name from a hat. Silver and Blaze often shared who they'd picked, mainly because Silver wasn't the best when it came to shopping.

"Uh, well, I might actually need some help," Silver admitted, recalling how much shopping he'd gotten done. Doing some quick math in his head, he added up the total amount of money he'd spent on gifts so far.

A big zero.

"Why? Who will you be buying for this year?"

Silver almost hesitated. He realized in that moment just how difficult it would be to think up a gift idea for his Secret Santa.

"Ahh . . . Shadow."

Blaze stood up and moved the box of cookies to a cabinet above the kitchen sink. She frowned thoughtfully and put a hand to her mouth.

"Well . . . I'm sure we can come up with something for him. We must, after all."

"Yeah . . . what about you?"

"I'll be shopping for Vector," she replied, "I'm not too concerned about it, though."

Silver chuckled.

"Yeah, he shouldn't be too hard to shop for."

There was a silence. Silver tried to remember the date in his head – December 21st. He still had a few days to go shopping, but it would be an absolute mess in the stores. He never should have put off the shopping, and now he was concerned with trying to get Blaze a gift.

That's right . . . what would he get Blaze for Christmas?

Well, it hopefully wouldn't be too hard. He'd managed to get together something for Blaze once he got around to shopping. As a matter of fact . . .

"I'm gonna head out for a bit," Silver announced suddenly. Blaze raised her eyebrows.

"Would you like me to come along with you?"

"Nah, it's all right. You stay here and get some rest, Blaze."

Silver flashed a wide grin at the cat, who returned the gesture with a gentle smile.

"If you say so," she said mysteriously. "Be back soon, all right?."

"I will!"

With another smile and a wave, Silver slipped on a winter jacket and gloves, stepping out into the crunchy snow and shutting the door behind him. He descended down the stairs of the front porch, making his way to the village shops in hopes that he would find something for Blaze and maybe Shadow.

* * *

Silver had barely arrived at the jewelry store before clumsily bouncing off another Mobian. The purple eyes glared into Silver's amber ones.

"Watch it," he said gruffly, then softened. "Oh, hi, Silver."

"Hey, Knuckles . . . sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it," the echidna replied, "I'm a bit edgy, so I'm sorry for snapping."

" 'S fine," Silver answered, forgiving. "So, uh . . . what brings you here?"

"I'm trying to find Rouge her gift this year," he said, browsing a display of bracelets that glinted in all different colors from the lights in the case. "I just don't know if I can top last year's."

Silver furrowed his brow, trying to recall the gift that Rouge had received from Knuckles. Knuckles noticed the confusion and sighed.

"I gave her a necklace," he said, answering Silver's silent question. Before Silver could mention that he'd gotten Blaze a necklace previous year, Knuckles spoke up again. "I spent months digging for a genuine emerald shard on Angel Island. I knew that I wouldn't be able to top that. I suppose that's why I'm a tad edgy."

Silver opened his mouth, and then closed it again, both impressed and jealous of Knuckles' efforts from the previous year. There wasn't much he could say, so he only uttered,

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know. I still don't know what to get her this year."

There was a brief and awkward silence between the two. Silver noticed the song playing over the store speakers - "Sleigh Ride". He hummed to himself quietly, watching over Knuckles' shoulder as the echidna growled to himself.

"I just want something that'll . . . I dunno, matter. It sounds sappy, but I just feel like something superficial won't be enough."

A looming guilt settled unpleasantly in Silver's mind. Suddenly, he felt that every idea he'd ever had was lame. All he could manage was a nervous chuckle.

Knuckles sighed, irritated with himself.

"Well, I'm going to poke around here for a little bit longer. Did you want to stick around, too?"

"Hm? Uh . . . no, thanks," Silver replied, breaking out of a daze. "I'm going to head somewhere else for now. Wish me luck!"

Knuckles' response was a grunted "Good luck". Silver walked through the automatic doors and pulled his coat tighter around him. The sinking guilt became amplified as he stood for a few moments outside of the store. He couldn't shake Knuckles' words from his mind - "I just feel like something superficial won't be enough." Silver found himself reevaluating every gift he'd ever gotten Blaze, wondering just how Blaze felt about them. What if she didn't like them? What if he hadn't been putting enough thought into the gifts?

"This year will be different," Silver announced to himself, "I'm gonna get something that matters!"


	2. Shop Hopping

"That's the spirit, Silv!" called a booming voice from Silver's left side. Startled, Silver jumped, and then blinked into focus the three figures that were approaching him.

"Oh, hi, guys," he greeted the Chaotix, his heart still pounding.

"We couldn't help but notice you making declarations to yourself," Espio said, "We were wondering if you were all right."

"Maybe the cold's getting to his head and freezing his brain," Charmy remarked, stifling a giggle. Vector pulled the hovering insect from the air and held him close to his own scaly face.

"Quiet, Charmy! That's a serious condition!"

Silver was about to tell Vector that his brain was just fine, when Espio appeared behind the hedgehog.

"What they're trying to say is that we were wondering if everything is okay," Espio said, concern actually creeping into his soft voice.

Silver scratched the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. It's just that . . ."

He stopped mid-sentence as Vector and Charmy had suddenly stopped arguing to listen intently to what Silver had to say.

"Well," he continued, eyeing the two, "I need to find a gift for Blaze, and I don't know what to get her."

"No problem; we got ya covered!" Vector announced, slapping Silver on the back before he could finish explaining.

"Well, you see-"

"We can help you shop! We'd be happy to help, right, boys?!"

"But wait, I-"

"You don't have to worry!" Vector boomed, leading Silver down the sidewalk by his shoulders. "Team Chaotix is here to save the day!"

"Helping, helping, we are helping!" Charmy sang, "I'll bet I'm getting more stuff for bein' good!"

Silver realized that his attempts to explain the real situation were not going to get across to the Chaotix. He kept his mouth shut and decided to just go with the flow. Who knows? Maybe Team Chaotix would give him some decent ideas.

* * *

Vector's mindset in any situation, whether it's solving a case or helping a friend, is pure determination. He made this clear a bit too loudly as he paraded through the stores with Silver's shoulder in his palm.

"See anything she might like, Silv, old boy?" Vector bellowed, causing many of the quieter shoppers in a small candle shop to to shush him. Silver chuckled nervously and carefully removed Vector's hand from his small shoulder.

"Well, uh . . . th-these do all smell very nice," he remarked, not unsincerely. At this point, Silver didn't want to hurt Vector's feelings by telling him this didn't seem quite right for Blaze. She needed something a bit more . . . worthwhile.

"How about this one?" Espio piped up from behind, holding an orange candle. "I believe it's called 'Summer Campfire'."

Silver took a sniff of the ashy-scented candle, and then shrugged. Noted, he did appreciate the thought that Espio put into the scent specific to Blaze's powers.

"How 'bout this one?" Charmy suggested, pointing to a display of sky-blue candles. " 'Dance of Raindrops'," he read, wrinkling his nose. "I don't like it."

"Who in the world is gonna take time to smell raindrops?" Vector questioned aloud, "That's ridiculous!"

"Most of these scented candles seem to be just that," Espio commented, eyeing a row of pink candles titled, "Young Love". "Somehow I don't think 'young love' is something that has a certain aroma."

Silver, feeling as though the name of the candle might have applied to his and Blaze's relationship in the slightest bit, took a sniff of the candle himself. In response, his nose twitched.

"Ah-choo!" he sneezed.

"Well, somehow I don't think that one's the right one for you, then," Espio concluded, watching Silver replace the candle into its rightful spot.

"Me niether," sighed the hedgehog, scratching his protesting nose.

"Anything, Silver?" Vector asked, stifling a sneeze himself. "Cuz I think if we spend another minute in this place, I'm pretty sure my nose is gonna fall off."

"No, no, stay! I wanna see that!" Charmy chimed, latching on to his scaly green boss' tail.

"Gah!" Vector cried, prying off the bee. "So whaddaya say, Silver?"

"Um . . . well, I'm not seeing anything too interesting here," replied Silver, rubbing the back of his head.

"Not to worry, my boy!" Vector announced, getting a few dirty looks from a small group of elderly ladies. "We got plenty more options!"

"Why not try the department store?" Espio suggested, "There should be lots of choices there."

"Great idea, my reptilian friend!" Vector said, slapping Espio on the back. The chameleon face-planted on the floor. Silver winced and, after helping him up, was led out by Vector once more.

* * *

The department store was absolutely packed with people and Mobians, young and old, men and women alike. Silver let out a deep breath when he entered the crowd.

"We can find lotsa stuff in here!" Vector proclaimed. "Just tell us what Blaze likes, and we'll find it!"

"Well, I . . . that's just it," Silver stuttered, relieved that Vector had brought that up, "I don't know what she'd like. I feel like I've already done it all."

"Ah-ha, but you don't know that," Vector replied with a wink, "We can help ya pick somethin' out, I know it! Boys, let's all split up!"

Before Silver could get another word in, Team Chaotix had vanished among the crowd, leaving the hedgehog alone to peruse the store.

_Clothing everywhere_ . . . he thought, _Isn't there something besides clothes that women like?_

He turned a corner, where he found a big and somewhat darker section that blared some kind of upbeat Christmas love song. Silver looked at the posters of models with makeup brand names plastered all over.

"Oh, right . . ." he muttered, "Makeup."

"Hey there, kiddo," came a voice from behind him. Silver whirled around to see a thin woman standing over him with a friendly smile. She sported a department store uniform and a curly black hairdo. As expected, she wore a thick layer of eye makeup and bright red lipstick. "Need some help? Or are you lost?"

Silver chuckled timidly and glanced briefly at the woman's seven-inch high-heeled shoes. He broke his gaze and brought his eyes to the woman's face again.

"Well, see, I need a Christmas gift for a girl-"

"Came to the right place, kid," the woman interrupted. Apparently that was all she needed to hear. Silver opened his mouth to try and explain that he was looking for something special, but it was to no avail.

"We just got in this new collection for those looking for a darker look," the woman explained, showing off a display of foundation, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, and concealer. "Our 'Winter Nights' collection is the hottest seller now. How do you think your special girl would like this?"

Silver looked at the little cases and tried his very best to imagine Blaze wearing it.

"Um . . . she, uh . . ." Silver, as many young gentlemen, knew absolutely nothing about makeup. "She, uh . . . she sometimes wears mascara," he said, hoping to get somewhere with that. The woman's eyebrow lifted slightly in confusion.

"Ohh, I see," she laughed. Silver chuckled with her, though whatever she had realized was a mystery to him. Pulling Silver into another row, the woman gestured to a shelf stocked with all different types of mascara. His mouth opened, and didn't quite close.

"I . . . Are these all supposed to be different?" he asked innocently. "I mean, no offense, but they all look the same."

The makeup saleswoman looked slightly offended and started to say something, when another voice spoke.

"You'd be surprised," the low purr of a voice said. Silver looked over to his side, where Rouge was getting her makeup done by an employee. "This 'Winter Nights' mascara is horrendous on my lashes. No offense, hon," she added in response to the employee's look of shock. She got out of the chair and approached Silver. "Hey, there," she greeted.

"Hi, Rouge," Silver greeted back, relieved to see a familiar and sane Mobian. "Are you doing last-minute shopping, too?"

"Unfortunately," she sighed. "Thanks for the help, ladies," she said to the two employees, who both glared at the two Mobians as they walked out of the makeup department.

"Boy, am I glad to see you," Silver said, letting out a long breath.


	3. A Girl's Best Friend

"So those three gents are running rampant around the store?" Rouge inquired after listening to a rushed explanation by Silver. He nodded, pursing his lips.

"Yeah. Probably wasn't wise of me to let them go off on their way," he said, wondering how and what they were doing.

"Probably not."

The two were silent as Silver touched a hanging ornament, watching it swing gently back and forth like a pendulum. Rouge watched it along with him, and then broke out of her gaze when something shiny caught her eye.

Silver turned to see Rouge admiring a case full of gaudy jewelry. She whistled, impressed.

"Now that's quality."

Nodding, Silver perused the collection of sparkling diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Suddenly, he felt an arm around his shoulder. He glanced at Rouge, mildly startled.

"You say you need something for Blaze?" she asked, not taking her eyes off the jewelry.

Silver nodded. It wasn't hard to tell where the conversation was going, but he kept his mouth shut in order to avoid being rude.

"There's something pretty meaningful about that stuff," Rouge explained, gesturing to the display. "You see, when a girl looks at these things, there's a spark that flickers in her eyes. It's a glint that sticks. Lots of gentlemen get their gals something shiny because they don't want that glint to leave. It's a wonderful thing, you see."

Silver, though slightly skeptical, couldn't help but let his childlike innocence show through widened eyes.

"Really?" he asked. Rouge nodded.

"That's right; this is all proven science," she replied, all too serious. "Now, let me tell you what happens to the lucky girl."

"O-okay . . . ."

"Jewelry is something to embellish the girl's looks. Something to really add to her appearance. When a girl gets something shiny to wear, she praises it. It's a way for her to really shine in her own way, you know?"

"I-I guess," a bewildered Silver answered.

"Good kid," Rouge said, patting the hedgehog's head. "Now, uh . . . I'd start looking for something you think would look great on Blaze. It's a guaranteed success, I tellya."

"I suppose," he said sheepishly.

With a quick farewell, Rouge left Silver alone as he stared down the glaring jewels and whatnot. They sparkled violently, as if taunting him. Deep down, it just didn't seem right. Rouge's speech was convincing, but Silver knew that it still wouldn't do much for Blaze. He knew that there wasn't much jewelry that she would wear, not to mention he'd already done it.

With every thought he had of how this gift simply had to be different, Silver grew more and more flustered. People had been coming in out of nowhere, barraging him with their ideas of gifts and leaving. Heaven only knows what the Chaotix were up to now. The frustrated hedgehog let out a long sigh.

"Is this really it?" he wondered aloud, just loudly enough for a passing jeweler to hear.

"No, no," she said, taking it as though he had been asking her, "We've got plenty more things down here, if you'd like to take a look."

Silver barely replied. Groaning in aggravation, he stormed away from the jewelry and sat down on a nearby bench. As he placed his hands over his face, Silver heard the familiar clambering of the Chaotix approaching.

"We got some stuff that Blaze might like!" Vector said loudly, holding up a few items for Silver to see. It was an odd combination of things ranging from gloves to what Silver thought looked like a coffee pot. Silver only glanced at them sadly.

"Thanks, guys, I really do appreciate the thought," he started as Charmy nearly dropped a Santa-shaped mug, "but I'm going to have to start heading home now. I'm sorry if I . . . well, uh, caused any inconvenience."

"Not a problem, Silver," Vector replied, ever cheerful. "We'll call you tomorrow ta see if ya need any more help, all right?"

Reluctantly, Silver agreed. Although he'd likely need some kind of help finding the right gift for Blaze, nothing seemed to be working. Distraught yet grateful, Silver bid the Chaotix good-bye, and they all went their separate ways. Silver stepped back out into the cold and stood outside for a long time – about twenty minutes. He stared at his feet, determined to give anything to find the perfect present for Blaze Although time was running out, and he was becoming more distressed.

* * *

"Welcome back, Silver," Blaze said warmly as the depressed hedgehog trudged through the front door. She looked up from a book she was comfortably reading, sitting upright in a reclining chair by the fireplace. Silver replied with a mumbled "hey" and tried to appear pleasant. Though his efforts were strong, Blaze immediately sensed that Silver was upset. "Is everything all right?" she asked with a gentle concern in her voice.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Silver answered quickly. "I'm just a little tired."

Blaze, being as intelligent as she was, knew that something was wrong. She frowned and stood up from the chair as Silver walked by. She set a hand on his shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"Silver, what's wrong?"

Silver stared into Blaze's eyes. He couldn't help but recall just how different Blaze's eyes were from anyone else's. The two yellow lights twinkled madly as they waited for an answer. They reflected that fire within her so well, and yet, they were just soft enough to signal her worry for Silver.

Silver cracked a smile upon his observation. He chuckled.

"I'll tell you the truth – I spent a few hours with the Chaotix," he said, "You know how they can wear a guy out."

Blaze, still a bit suspicious, smiled sweetly.

"I suppose that's understandable," she replied, taking her hand off of Silver's shoulder. "I apologize for being so abrupt."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Silver chuckled again. After a moment, Silver remembered what Rouge had said in the store. "Say, uh, Blaze?"

"Yes?"

Silver hesitated, but he asked the question anyway.

"Where did you put that necklace I gave you last year?"

Blaze pondered for a moment.

"It's on my dresser, hanging on the jewelry holder," she answered. "Why?"

"Uh . . . can you grab it really quick? I want to see something."

Raising an eyebrow, Blaze did as Silver asked and came back into the living room and carefully handed it off to Silver.

"Here it is."

Silver gingerly held it up and stared at the pendant. It was a crystal in the shape of a small flame, lined with silver to protect it. The hedgehog glanced at the pendant, then at Blaze's eyes, then back again. As hard as he tried, that spark that Rouge had mentioned was nowhere to be found.

"D-do you like this necklace, Blaze?" he inquired softly, suddenly wondering if she didn't like it at all. Taken aback, Blaze opened her mouth slightly.

"Why, of course," she replied, frowning. "It's absolutely gorgeous. Why do ask?"

Silver felt that he couldn't answer. What if she was only saying that? No, she wouldn't. Not Blaze.

"I . . . can you put it on? Just for the moment?"

Again, Blaze did what he'd asked, but she remained confused. She slipped the necklace on and clipped the delicate fastener together.

Silver did agree with Rouge in that moment; Blaze looked incredible. The sparkle of the necklace matched her eyes very well, although her eyes never lit up at the sight of the pendant. Come to think, Silver had never seen that happen when she was presented with jewelry.

_Because,_ he thought, _Blaze doesn't care as much for jewelry as Rouge does._

"Well, what do you think, then?"

Silver snapped out of his daze and smiled.

"It looks great," he uttered, "You can take it off now."

Blaze, still all the more confused, decided to speak her mind.

"You know, Silver," she started, "This necklace really is one of the most gorgeous gifts I've ever received. But . . ."

Silver felt a small touch against his cheek. Blaze's fingers brushed against his face gently. There were those eyes again.

"It doesn't compare to the company of a sweet young hedgehog like yourself. That in itself is an incredibly wonderful thing."

Silver couldn't help but feel his mouth curl up happily. The comfort that Blaze gave was often all he needed to hear.

"Thanks, Blaze."

Blaze turned around to face the door, and then look back at Silver again.

"Good night, Silver. I believe I'm going to get some sleep."

"Me, too. 'Night, Blaze." Silver's voice trailed off as he felt himself getting lost in Blaze's eyes again until she disappeared into her room and shut the door. Silver stood alone in the living room, replaying Blaze's words over and over in his mind. It didn't solve the problem of giving her a gift, but at least Silver knew how much Blaze cared for him.


	4. Where Are You, Christmas?

Silver woke with a start. Somehow the half-asleep realization that Blaze still needed a gift was enough to make him rise in a panic. He was bolt upright in bed as he looked at his alarm clock, which was supposed to wake him up at eight in the morning – three hours ago.

The hedgehog clambered down the stairs, struggling to get his boots on. The smell of eggs and pancakes met his nose.

"Breakfast," called Blaze from the kitchen. She walked out to find Silver sitting on the floor, tugging at his left boot. The cat stifled a chuckle. "Oversleep again, did you?"

"Yeah . . ." Silver replied, giving the stubborn boot one final pull, getting it over his foot and ankle. "Breakfast smells good."

"Thank you."

Silver stuffed his mouth full of both eggs and pancakes. He didn't want to miss shopping today, and he just had to find something. There had to be something out there that was absolutely perfect for Blaze. He just hadn't found it yet.

But I will, he thought. This one will really blow her away.

With his breakfast gone, Silver stood up and nearly threw the plate into the sink. He pulled on his jacket and, in his haste, had trouble buttoning the buttons up. Blaze noticed and put a finger to Silver's muttering lips.

"Do you need some help?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Heh . . . I needed help a looong time ago."

"Tsk . . . My goodness, what in the world is your hurry?" the cat inquired, buttoning up Silver's coat for him. "Are you certain you don't need?"

"I, uh . . . no, but I'm glad you asked," he answered sheepishly. "I'm going shopping. Do you need me to stop anywhere for you?"

Blaze thought for a moment, and then shook her head.

"No, I think we've got the essentials for the Christmas party," she replied, "Are you sure you don't need me to come along? Remember, you have to get Shadow's gift."

The realization snapped in Silver, leaving a small sinking feeling.

"Shoot."

Blaze smiled.

"I talked about it with Rouge yesterday," she said. Silver's ears perked up slightly.

"Did you? What did she say?"

"She told me that, every year, she and Omega pitch in to buy Shadow something for his motorcycle. Oh, and she understands why you'd have trouble buying for him. Apparently even his own teammates are running out of ideas."

Silver nodded, then frowned.

"But I don't know anything about motorcycles," he mumbled.

"There must be something out there for him," Blaze replied. "Just keep looking. I'm going to have to watch some of the kids again today. Amy called earlier this morning."

"All right. If they cause any trouble, tell 'em they'll be cooked along with the Christmas dinner."

"Now, Silver!" Blaze scolded as Silver began laughing to himself.

"I'm only kidding," he said between laughs, "But I've gotta head out. Have fun today, all right?"

"I will. And you stay warm."

"I will!"

* * *

Hours passed. To Silver, it felt like days. He'd gone around asking every store owner he could ask for advice on what to get Blaze. All the answers seemed to be the same.

"She'll love our newest perfume. It's our finest sale item yet."

"My wife instantly fell for this dress – your gal will, too! And it's on sale!"

"Flowers and chocolates are always an option. Buy our biggest package this holiday season! We've only got a few more left in stock!"

The trend wasn't too difficult to spot. Silver realized what a mistake it was to ask all of these employees and salespeople what to get Blaze for Christmas. Especially since they only seemed to care about the money that was involved with the season.

Silver stormed out of a store, muttering angrily to himself.

"At least the Chaotix cared," he murmured. The hedgehog let out a quivering breath and stared at the horizon, where an orange glow was settling over the city. He hadn't even realized just how long he'd been out.

With the darkening of the sky, Silver ran through the crowds and rushed to the park, where he knew it would be a little quieter and easier to think. All the while, he shamefully fought back tears. Once he came up to the park, Silver sat down on the nearest bench and dug his palms into his closed eyes.

"Discouraged?"

The voice came seemingly out of nowhere. Silver's fur stood on end as he jumped in alarm. He whirled around to see Shadow sitting, arms leaning on his knees, on the same bench underneath the street light. Silver let out a sigh.

"You have no idea," he mumbled, unsure of whether Shadow would even be interested in talking about the dilemma. "Christmas is coming too soon."

"I'm well aware," Shadow replied, his voice soft yet sharp. "And . . ."

Silver, though puzzled by the prompt, answered without hesitation.

"I tried to find the perfect gift for Blaze. I've tried everything, and still, there's nothing out there that's just right. Only a bunch of selfish people who care only about money."

Shadow let out some air from his nose, releasing a cloud in the cold air.

"Unfortunately, that's the way the world works."

There was a pause and a short silence, save for a chilly breeze that rustled Silver's fur and sunk through to his skin. He shivered.

"I just don't know," muttered the distressed hedgehog. He set his whole face into his palms, hoping that they'd warm him up a little bit.

Shadow sat thoughtfully, switching positions.

"Have you considered getting her something specific?"

Silver eyed the dark hedgehog suspiciously. It seemed strange that he was attempting to dive deeper into the conversation. Leaving this thought only in the back of his mind, Silver continued.

"Yes, but none of my ideas are any good," he answered quickly. "It's all so . . . superficial. Everyone's been throwing ideas at me like crazy. Clothes? Boring. Jewelry? Already done that. Makeup? She doesn't even wear that much."

"All to be lost or forgotten eventually," Shadow commented casually. Silver looked into the red eyes with his own curious amber ones.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Clothing, jewelry, cosmetics . . . it's all well and good once received, but how long does it really last? A few years, maybe?"

Feeling slightly offended, Silver's brow scrunched up slightly in the middle.

"She still has that necklace I gave her last year," he defended. "Are you saying that idea wasn't good enough?"

"I'm saying that you should give her something that no one else has thought of," Shadow replied, his voice still surprisingly calm. Now Silver began to worry.

"Where's the real Shadow?" he asked, inching away slowly, "What have you done with him?"

Shadow turned so that his dark smile was fully illuminated in the snow-sprinkled light.

"This may come as a surprise, but I do happen to have something of a heart," he answered, a bit harshly.

"But . . . you're so . . . _into_ it."

Shadow sighed.

"Unfortunately, everyone seems to have this perception that I'm nothing short of a blunt and threatening hedgehog."

Silver slid a little further down the bench, now really taken aback.

"Uh . . . I-I'm sorry about that," he stammered. _What am I doing? I'm just going to offend him even more._

"No need to be sorry," Shadow chuckled. "I'm only reminding you that I do have the capability to care, even if it's the slightest bit."

"I'm glad," Silver said awkwardly.

Shadow didn't respond. He seemed lost in thought once again.

"Um, Shadow?"

He raised his head.

"Hm?"

"Do you have any, uh . . . suggestions, maybe? For a gift?"

Silver winced. Somehow, he felt as though Shadow would be even more offended, even though he hadn't said anything particularly wrong. That, or Shadow would tell him to figure it out himself and storm off. Surprisingly, Shadow stroked his chin and seemed . . . in a helpful mood.

"Memories are one of the most treasured things in life," he answered. Silver's eyebrows raised.

"Beg pardon?"

Shadow's mouth twisted once again into what appeared to be a genuine smile.

"They're what keep me going, anyway," he replied, "If I didn't remember Maria, I wouldn't have remembered that every human here needs to be saved. I would have taken part in destroying everything."

Once again, Silver had no clue as to where this was going.

"And . . . ?"

"Well, what can you get her that will last?"

Silver's mouth opened, then closed, then opened and closed again. What would Blaze keep locked in her mind for years?

"Well, uh . . . she likes music." Shadow raised an eyebrow. Silver continued. "And reading. And some time spent alone, and maybe . . ."

"Time spent with you."

Silver looked Shadow in the eye once again.

"So . . . that still doesn't really help me," he said uncomfortably, wrinkling his brow. "She likes music and maybe spending time with me, but how is that going to help me decide on what to get her?"

"I'll let you figure that one out," Shadow replied, looking ready to stand up.

"No, wait!"

The short cry amused Shadow slightly. He raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"You can't figure it out on your own, kid?"

"I . . . it's just that . . ."

Silver suddenly recalled a little melody he heard coming from the music box while in the chaos of trying to shop earlier. It was a sweet, bright song that had calmed him down the slightest bit when he'd been shopping.

"A music box," he mumbled, "That's it! I've got it! I have an idea!"

Shadow looked pleased.

"Knew you could do it," he said with a nod. Shadow stood up.

"Thanks for the help, Shadow!" Silver exclaimed, patting his fellow hedgehog on the back. Very suddenly, Shadow whirled around and pulled Silver by the top half of his arm.

"If you speak a word to anyone of this exchange tonight, I'll be sure that you don't see Christmas this year," he hissed under his breath. Silver nodded, panicked.

"O-okay," he stuttered. Shadow let his grip go and sped off into the night, his black fur blending well with the darkness in the distance. Silver cracked a grin and chuckled to himself. In a flash of cyan light, the hedgehog had vanished, eager to start work on this unique gift.


	5. I Think I've Found You

The next day, Silver was back in the store he was in the previous day, happily buying the music box. It was a beautiful wooden box with a floral pattern embellished in gold around the borders and two skating figurines at the top. Every time the key was turned, the box would play the classical-sounding tune and the two tiny figures at the top would spin slowly on the white platform. After thanking the cashier and skipping out of the store, Silver hurried to the art store.

"Modeling clay . . ." he mumbled, "Where do they keep – ah!"

He bolted to the aisle and spent a few moments browsing the shelves, looking for the right colors. Once he'd found the ones he was looking for, Silver rushed to the checkout, tripping on multiple things, including his own feet, on the way. A sudden crash indicated his falling over a snowman statue.

"I-I'm so sorry," he said breathlessly to a distraught employee, who glared at him. The hedgehog checked inside his bag to see if the music box had been damaged, only to find it still completely intact. Silver helped the young man stand the statue up and the display of paintbrushes that went along with it. "Sorry about that!" he exclaimed, not affected in any way by the annoyed look of the employee. At this point, Silver couldn't feel upset by anything. He was in too much of a good mood to let anything get him down. His idea was exciting him a bit too much.

Silver stumbled through the door of the art store, panting with anticipation. The hedgehog felt just as happy as a child on Christmas.

_Wait . . ._ he thought with a goofy grin. _I guess I am._

While running to a nearby restaurant and pushing through crowds the whole way, Silver came to a screeching halt, nearly tumbling into a street light pole. He stared through the glass of the window in front of him. There inside was a small display of biker's helmets.

"Yes!" he shouted, pumping a fist in the air, "I am on a roll today!"

The excited hedgehog got so happy that he teleported himself inside. Realizing that he alarmed some of the tough-looking bikers already in the store, Silver backed up a bit. He cleared his throat anxiously.

"Uhh, s-sorry about that, fellas," he stammered as one man in front of him with a scraggly beard took a drag on his cigarette. "I'm just looking for a helmet for a friend of mine."

The bikers looked at Silver suspiciously and continued to talk to each other, unfazed by the strange hedgehog's appearance among them. Silver let out a deep breath and browsed, something he felt he had been doing for too long now. Nonetheless, he still needed a gift for Shadow.

Silver wasn't sure if it was the way the light was reflecting off of it, but one helmet in particular stuck out to him. It had "Shadow" written all over it in terms of appearance. The helmet was completely black, save for a few red stripes at the visor's sides. Not to mention it said, "Mobian Compatible" on it. Hopefully Shadow would be able to fit his quills into it.

"Perfect," Silver whispered, hoping the bikers wouldn't hear him talking to himself. Unfortunately, such was not the case.

"You know how much those cost, right, pal?" a deep and scratchy voice asked behind him. Silver timidly turned around and held up his pointer finger.

"Y-yeah, something like a hundred rings, right?" The hedgehog couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of his cheerfulness be replaced with a rising fear in his chest.

"You got it," the voice said. There behind him was a large and older hawk, a fellow Mobian, who bore a name tag that simply read, "Pred". Silver smiled weakly.

"Ah heh," he chuckled nervously. "So, uh, can I buy it, then?"

"What, that one?"

"Um . . . y-yes, please."

The hawk plucked the helmet from its perch and looked it over.

"Not so sure you're gonna want this one, kiddo," Pred drawled after feeling the smooth surface of the helmet, "It's a bit too much for ya."

"Oh, it's not for me," Silver replied quickly, "It's for a friend of mine."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I was just lookin' at it myself. I think it's more meant for me."

Speechless, Silver frowned in confusion and began sputtering gibberish.

"But . . . I . . . you . . ."

" 'Less you'd be willin' to pay with whatever you've got in that there bag," Pred negotiated, pointing to the shopping bag containing the special music box. "Looks awfully heavy n' expensive." Silver started to protest as Pred pulled out the delicate item from the bag.

"No, wait!"

"Verrrry pretty thing," the greying hawk said, "How much is it worth, you think?"

Silver felt his whole state of mind, every shard of happiness he had, shatter to pieces.

"Look, I won't buy this helmet, then," Silver sighed, "I need that music box."

Pred raised an eyebrow, still holding the music box.

"Oh, do you?"

"Yes!"

Silver looked around to see the crowd of tough men and Mobians staring. He'd been causing a scene. Desperate, the hedgehog explained.

"It's for a girl," he said, "I-I was going to give that to her for Christmas."

Surprisingly, Pred looked questioningly at Silver rather than making fun of him.

"You've got yourself a girl?" he asked, his voice softening.

Silver nodded frantically.

"Yeah, and I need to give that to her. See, I don't want to give her just any gift! I wanted to give her something really special. And . . . and that music box was the only chance I had."

Pred slowly spun the music box around in his hand and then smiled. He shook his feathers out a bit and carefully handed the music box back to a bewildered hedgehog.

"How about that, boys?" he bellowed, his body shaking with laughter, "The kid's got himself a special girl before me! I can't even snag me a dame for over a week!"

Shocked, Silver listened to the laughter of the many patrons in the shop. He kept his mouth shut, not know whether they were mocking him or not. The answer to that question came abruptly after Silver felt himself being slapped on the back.

"Sonny, you must be something awful special if you've got a gal at yer age," Pred said with another guffaw. "What's your name?"

"S-Silver."

"Well, then, Silver, m'boy," Pred announced, "You go and give that gift to your girl! I'll take half the price off that helmet, no problem! I wasn't gonna take it anyway, y'know."

Silver's ears were full of the sound of the bikers all encouraging him to go to his "special gal". The still shocked hedgehog quickly paid for the helmet.

"Thank you all so much!" he said. Applause sounded throughout the store, accompanied by the deep roars of support. It sounded like an army of vikings about to go to war. "Thank you! And have a merry Christmas!"

Silver waved at the bikers, clutching his helmet and other bags. They all waved and called after him.

"Good luck, kiddo!"

"Give your gal a kiss for me!"

"Make this Christmas a good one!"

Silver's eyes lit up. He laughed quietly to himself as he shut the door behind him. He felt that, for the first time thus far, Christmas was showing itself.


	6. Falling Into Place

The eager hedgehog managed to get home very quietly, slipping past Blaze's room. He was thankful that the front door didn't creak as loudly as it could have. Though she never said a word, Blaze had a small grin on her face. She continued to read in her room, very much aware that Silver had just entered the house. However, being as smart she was, Blaze had realized what Silver was up to. She decided to let him have the small victory of being able to get into the house "without her noticing".

* * *

Silver went into the garage, switching on the radio to pay some quiet Christmas music, hoping to get more into the spirit as he prepared his gifts. He dumped the bag with the modeling clay, and carefully set the music box on a little workbench.

"Okay . . ." he mumbled, bobbing his head along to the music. The clay had been laid out on the table – gray and purple were the colors that he had chosen. "Where do I start?" he mumbled, "Hm . . ."

The hedgehog, with great caution, snapped off the two skating figures on the music box. He gently set them aside. "Sorry guys," he apologized to the figures. After Silver struggled to open the packages of clay, he began to mold them into small shapes. It wasn't easy – Silver's fingers kept slipping, not to mention they were fairly big compared to the size of the tiny sculptures he had in mind. No matter what, though, Silver's determination and perseverance was something to be envied. He was able to get the full shape of the first figure done, even if it wasn't quite perfect.

"Heh . . . you actually look a little bit like me," he said to the small gray piece of clay, "Didn't think you would. But I'm not done yet."

Silver had pulled out some small containers of differently colored paints and a paintbrush. The clay dried relatively quickly, enough time for Silver to begin working on the shape of the second one. For this one, he used purple clay and some white clay. The resulting form wasn't perfect, but Silver curled his tongue against his upper lip with creative ambition anyway. There was no way he was going to give up now. Not after everything he'd been through for the past few days. The purple figure started to really look like its model.

"Perfect," Silver whispered with a wide smile. He held the two figures up and then began to change their poses and arm positions as though they were dancing together. The gray one's first arm would curl around the shoulder of the purple one, and they'd both be holding hands with their free hands. Silver let out a chuckle once he'd finished the poses and, just for fun, lifted both of them in the air with his telekinesis. It wasn't too difficult to lift two things at once, but it was slightly more difficult to concentrate on both. Silver's hand glowed with a bright blue, as did the figures. He slowly spun them around as if they were both dancing on the music box.

What a sight it was. Though the two figures had no added details yet, Silver sighed dreamily at the thought. There was no doubt in his mind that Blaze would love this gift, especially since he'd given it that little extra touch; a personal touch. Because what better way to reach Blaze's heart was there than to combine something homemade and something more exquisitely made?

* * *

Silver was able to get the gift completely finished much quicker than he'd expected, and left it hidden under a bag in the garage on a shelf. He was certain Blaze wouldn't see it, especially since she never really made use of the garage. Silver brought in the box with Shadow's helmet and announced himself.

"Oh, Blaaaze! I'm home!"

The elegant cat emerged from her room and yawned in a manner that seemed a bit exaggerated, even for her.

"Why, Silver," she said with a little smile, "You're a bit late, aren't you?"

"Am I?" he replied, his confidence suddenly falling the slightest bit. "I, uh . . . I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting!"

Blaze let out a laugh – a soft, purring sound that could easily be mistaken for beautiful music. At least, in Silver's ears that's what it sounded like. His mouth stretched from ear to ear when he heard that soothing sound.

"You know I'm only teasing," Blaze said, gently tapping Silver's nose with two fingers. "I'm just glad you're home. Just in time for supper, too."

Blaze noticed the picture on the box that Silver was holding and furrowed her brow.

"So you've found a gift for Shadow, then?"

"Yeah, and-"

Silver stopped himself. He was about to tell the incredible story regarding the bikers in the shop, but that would have spoiled her gift. Or at least, the fact that he'd only come home with it that day. So Silver redirected his story.

"I thought it was perfect. It even matches his fur coloration!"

Blaze nodded, opening up the box and pulling out the semi-heavy helmet. She held it up and peered carefully around the other side, seeing a beaming Silver.

"Peekaboo," he chuckled. Blaze giggled and handed him the gift back.

"Likewise, I've found a gift for Vector," she said. "Come take a look."

Silver followed Blaze into the kitchen and watched as she opened up a cabinet.

"I haven't wrapped it yet," she said, pulling out a small shopping bag, "but this is what I've gotten him. Do you suppose he'll like them?"

Silver pulled out the gift from its bag – it was a brand new pair of headphones, a bulky green set.

"He'll love them," Silver said without hesitation, "I'm impressed!"

"As am I with your Secret Santa gift," Blaze replied. "Let's have dinner, and then we can wrap, all right?"

"Awesome!" Silver said, "I'm starving, what are we having?"

After eating a delicious supper, Silver and Blaze brought their gifts into the living room. Blaze pulled some wrapping paper out from a closet, along with ribbons, bows, and other miscellaneous glittery stuff.

"I might need some help; I stink at wrapping presents," Silver informed Blaze. The cat cocked a eyebrow at him.

"Practice does make perfect, you know," she sighed.

"I know, I know."

* * *

It wasn't long before the two went from wrapping gifts to putting bows on each other's heads, which soon escalated into a competition to see how many times they could bop each other on the head with an empty wrapping paper roll.

"You can't catch me!" Silver taunted, running to the other side of the room as Blaze wielded a roll of wrapping paper. She grinned slyly.

"Just try me," she teased. Silver teleported himself to a different side of the room as she ran to him.

"You're forgetting something," Silver sang, teleporting again, "You can't caaaatch meee!"

He and Blaze continued this for another few minutes, until Silver unexpectedly teleported directly in front of Blaze, and much to her surprise, kissed her on the cheek.

"I win," he said softly, "Now will you return the favor?"

Silver puckered his lips and shut his eyes, waiting for another pair of lips to meet his. Instead, he felt a hollow tube hit his top quill.

"Guess I shoulda been expecting that one," he said meekly. Blaze laughed softly.

"Here," she said, and leaned forward to kiss Silver's nose. Silver sighed loudly.

"Ahhhhhh . . . ."

"Hush, now, Silver," Blaze giggled, "We still have some wrapping to get done, if I'm not mistaken."

"I guess you're right."

The two began their regular wrapping business again, chatting casually. Silver couldn't help but notice that Blaze's cheeks had only become the slightest bit redder as she talked.


	7. A Little Bit More

**A/N: Hey guys, just wanted to thank all of you for the reviews, faves, follows, and support in general! It's been a bit rough with Christmas being so close, but your feedback and support is the best gift I could ever ask for. :) Thanks, all, and Merry Christmas!**

* * *

Silver drowsily brought his eyes to the clock on the mantle the night before Christmas Day. 11:45 P.M. The sound of the fire crackling went perfectly with the sweet carols playing over the radio. Silver and Blaze were curled up on the couch in front of the fire; a perfect couple's Christmas Eve. Silver started humming along to "Deck The Halls".

"Oh, my . . ." Blaze yawned. "Isn't it about time we went to bed?"

"Bed?" Silver mumbled, "Humbug. Who needs sleep on a night like this?"

"Only all the children in the world," Blaze replied. "However, I think it would be worth it if we tried to stay awake a little longer."

"And what do you mean by that?"

Blaze was smiling. Silver couldn't see it, but he could feel it. It was a gut feeling.

"Well, I have a little something for you. I was just wondering if you'd be interested. But if not . . ."

"No, no, go on. I've got a little something for you, too."

There was a short pause.

"Well, I'll let you go," Silver said, taking his arm away from Blaze's shoulder. "Lemme get my gift, too."

They both departed from the room, and then reappeared holding one box each. Silver was sure to handle his very gently. After all, the contents were rather delicate.

"Who goes first?" Silver asked, "Who went first last year?"

"I believe it was me," Blaze said, trying to recall. "I can't remember for sure."

"Well, I dunno, I think it would be best if you gave me my gift first," Silver said. "That's just me, though."

"All right, then, I suppose I will, you picky hedgehog," Blaze giggled.

Silver opened his gift from Blaze - it was brand-new pair of ice skates.

"Yes!" he celebrated. "All right, new skates! Thanks, Blaze! Now we can go skating together again!"

He hugged Blaze as a grateful measure, and then put the skates aside.

"Now it's your turn," Silver hummed with a flirtatious grin. He bowed and held out his gift for her with his eyes to the ground. "Merry Christmas, Blaze."

Silver looked up just in time to catch Blaze's cheeks flushing. He smiled at the sight. It wasn't often that anyone got the chance to see such a thing happen to her, but Silver somehow managed to witness it quite a bit.

"Thank you, Silver."

Silver watched anxiously as Blaze very carefully peeled back the paper off of the box and tore the tape from the lid. She took the lid off to the sight of something wrapped tightly in bubble wrap. Blaze giggled at the sight as she pulled it out.

"This must be rather special if you've taken the time to wrap it so . . . meticulously," she observed quietly.

"I hope so," Silver sang, "C'mon, open it!"

Silver watched very intently as Blaze began to rip the tape from the bubble wrap. He could almost hear the drumroll, as if they were on some sort of game show. He'd waited for so long for this moment, and now he was finally going to see that reaction. If only Silver had brought along a camera.

The moment came. The music box showed itself, gleaming in the glow of the fire. Silver searched his friend's face for the reaction, not wanting to miss a single moment of this. And then, when Blaze looked up with her lips parted ever so slightly, Silver saw it.

The spark in her eyes.

It was just as Rouge said, only without the jewelry. Blaze's eyes were as bright and twinkly as the lights on the tree. They were two glittering embers, shining as she gazed at the two figures on the music box. _And,_ Silver thought, _that spark is gorgeous._

"Well?" he prompted softly, "What do you think?"

Blaze's mouth formed into the most genuine smile Silver had ever seen. Her pearly-whites glistened as a laugh escaped her throat.

"Oh, Silver," she breathed, "Silver, it's more than I could have imagined!"

Silver sat back and admired his handiwork – the two hand-crafted, hand-painted figures on the music box were smiling back at him with their tiny little black mouths. Both were hot-glued on the surface of the music box, but discreetly so.

He'd done it. Now it was his reaction to her reaction that he hadn't thought about.

"I'm . . . I'm so glad you like it!" he said, not knowing what else to say. Before he could even think of anything else to say, Silver felt Blaze's lips on his. Not his cheek, not his nose, but on his lips. He sunk into a daze and hung his head as she pulled away slowly. The warmth lingered, leaving the stricken hedgehog's lips tingling. The world seemed to be spinning around him, until Blaze spoke again.

"I don't know how else to thank you for a gift like this," Blaze said, looking the music box over, "It's beautiful."

"You wouldn't believe what I went through to get that for you."

With that, Silver told his whole story to Blaze. Of course, it wasn't much of a story besides the distress that Silver encountered when he had wondered whether or not she had appreciated his gifts in past years. But it was a story nonetheless. Blaze listened, somehow feeling . . . guilty.

"Silver, never once have I thought of you or your gifts in that way," she said firmly, "Why, on the contrary, I only wish there was some bigger way for me to show my gratitude for all you've done for me."

Silver then continued to tell Blaze about his strange encounter with Shadow. Blaze seemed most shocked by this, along with the incident with the bikers in the shop.

"It does seem strange for him, that's for certain," she remarked. "But his advice is worthwhile."

Silver's eyes widened in sudden realization.

"Yeah . . . just, uh . . . don't tell anyone else, especially him, that I told you, 'kay?"

"Of course."

Silver glanced up at the clock again as he and Blaze embraced. At that exact moment, the first bell of midnight chimed. Suddenly, Silver's whole world felt like absolute bliss. The light of the fire, the glittering Christmas tree, the sweet sound of music playing on the radio . . . it truly was a magical time.

The hedgehog leaned in closer towards his companion.

"Merry Christmas, Blaze," he whispered, pecking her temple. The cat purred her happiness and snuggled closer to him. Silver's arm wrapped around her once again.

"Merry Christmas, Silver."

In another few moments, the two of them had drifted off into a deep sleep.

* * *

Christmas morning had finally arrived. Everyone gathered at Sonic's house to exchange Secret Santa gifts, and what a scene it was. Silver and Blaze arrived just as Charmy and Tails had been chasing each other around the house with their newly-opened toys. The familiar greeting of "Merry Christmas" rang throughout the house with every guest that stepped inside. As soon as everything had almost been settled(save for a few of the kids who were still running amok), Sonic announced:

"All right, everyone! Find your Secret Santa and give 'em what you got 'em! Merry Christmas again!"

The Mobians became a tangled crowd in the small house, all calling out the names of their Secret Santas. Silver nervously held on to his gift, searching the crowd for Shadow. The dark hedgehog wasn't too hard to spot as he gave his own Secret Santa, Cream, a small stuffed Chao with a fat pink ribbon tied around it.

"Thank you, Mister Shadow!" the bunny exclaimed, gripping Shadow around the waist. Shadow's eyes widened, and, noticing Silver watching the small gesture unfold, glared in the "tell-anyone-and-you-will-never-be-seen-again" way. Silver could only avert his eyes by staring at the wall and whistling.

"Oh, Shadow," he called nonchalantly, "Shadow, where are you?"

A rough hand on his shoulder indicated that his Secret Santa was suddenly standing behind him. Silver whirled around to see Shadow's dark eyes staring into his.

"H-hey, Shadow," he greeted. "Merry Christmas!"

Shadow accepted the gift with a mumbled "thanks" and began to open it. Once he saw the picture on the box, Shadow nodded and pulled out the contents.

"Not bad," he murmured, "Not bad at all." After looking over the features on the helmet, Shadow replaced it into the box. "Those guys really seemed to like you, didn't they?"

Silver frowned.

"What guys?"

Shadow chuckled as he closed the lid on the box.

"Pred and all them. They went pretty easy on you, you know."

"Wh—how-"

"I may or may not have been there," Shadow replied to the stuttering, "You got awfully lucky. Those guys are all fairly tough."

"Oh, uh . . . are they?" Silver asked quietly, embarrassed. Shadow didn't hear him, though.

"And I've been keeping an eye on this exact helmet for quite some time now."

"So . . ." Silver eyed his Secret Santa, "you like it, then?"

"Yes. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Silver looked in the other direction, where Vector was thanking Blaze for the headset she'd given him. Silver sighed, and then jumped as Shadow's deep voice was close to his ear.

"How'd it go?"

"Oh, heh . . . Blaze's gift?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, man, you had the best advice ever. She loved it. I can't even begin to tell you how her eyes were all lit up and her smile was so sweet and happy-"

"Don't, then," Shadow replied sharply, not quite willing to listen to the details. "As long as I know my advice worked. You may never have that happen again."

Silver chuckled, although it wasn't from nerves this time.

"I'm very glad I did, then."

Shadow's mouth curled up into his usual smirk.

"Sappy as this may sound, you really are something special, kiddo," Shadow said to Silver. "I really hate to say it like this, but Blaze is rather fortunate to have you around. Don't ever leave her side, do you hear me?"

"Yessir."

Silver barely noticed Shadow leave as Blaze walked up to him again, a grin on her face and a twinkle in her eyes. Yes sir, all the trouble he'd gone to was well worth it. Blaze's eyes were on fire, sparkling madly like a firework explosion. The young hedgehog felt himself melting under the tantalizing gaze of his partner. In that moment he realized that, no matter what happened, nothing in the world could matter more to him than the girl behind the firey eyes.

* * *

**"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more." ~Dr. Suess, "The Grinch That Stole Christmas" **

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all so much for another awesome run! Just one more thing - I'm sorry if I had a hard time keeping up with reviews and whatnot. It's been a bit crazy this holiday season, so thanks again too all my reviewers, guest reviewers, and followers. :) You guys are the best! Keep an eye out for upcoming stories, but first enjoy your holidays. :) Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!**


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